Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sun protector for motorcycles. More particularly, the sun protector covers the seat and fuel tank area of the motorcycle.
2. Background Information
Motorcycle owners often desire to protect their motorcycles from damage that can be caused by exposure to rain and, particularly, to exposure to the sun. Commercially available covers are customarily made of material such as vinyl or canvas which is of essentially non-stretchable character. Such covers are normally relatively large and cumbersome, making them for all practical purposes non-portable for a motorcyclist. Often the covers are contained on a tensioned cylinder within a container which adds bulk and complexity to the cover.
Such covers are usually draped over the cycle and are relatively loose fitting, customarily being secured by ties or the like. In any event, such devices, being loosely fit if it can be considered to be fit at all to the bike, do not afford adequate protection from the elements. This situation is aggravated by virtue of the fact that motorcycles come in various sizes and configurations, and these covers do not.
In addition, motorcycle riders utilizes their motorcycle for many purposes, including pleasure trips, running errands, and riding to and from work. It is therefore desirable that the seat and fuel tank be kept free of dust, dirt, and moisture which may accumulate when the motorcycle is parked, so as not to soil the rider""s clothes. In hot climates, the black vinyl material of which motorcycle seats are typically composed may become very hot, causing considerable discomfort to the rider when first mounting the motorcycle, to the point of causing burns in some cases. Such heat further seriously degrades the vinyl material. Many motorcycle riders also take pride in the overall appearance of their motorcycle, especially in the cleanliness and shininess of the fuel tank. The intense sunlight and high temperatures that characterize the motorcycle riding season, rapidly oxidizes the paint or lacquer finish of motorcycle fuel tanks, providing a degraded appearance. Some examples of motorcycle coverings and protectors that have been granted patents include the following:
Peters, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,746, describes a folded, thin, flexible protective sheet stored in a housing located at the rear of a motorcycle. The sheet unwinds from the housing and attaches to the handlebars and/or front portion of the frame of the motorcycle with elastic cords or similar devices. The sheet material is described as xe2x80x9cnylonxe2x80x9d or a similar flexible, waterproof material. A biasing roller spring keeps constant tension on the sheet when in use.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,872, Warner discloses a foldable cover structure that completely covers a motorcycle. The cover has front and rear openings with fasteners and a top opening for the handlebars, with another covering portion that fastens over the top opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,523 by Allen describes another protective cover for a motorcycle that stores within the seat of the cycle. The cover encloses the entire motorcycle, with no openings, and must be stuffed back into the seat for storage and riding of the motorcycle.
Pearson, Sr., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,145, describes a retractable protective covering which may be unrolled from a spring loaded spool mounted in a housing attached to a motorcycle behind the motorcycle seat to cover the seat and the tank of the motorcycle. The covering has a long, rectangular top panel formed of heavy waterproof material, and two long, narrow upper side panels and two long, narrow lower side panels, with an upper and lower side panel on each side of the top panel. A pair of V-shaped bars, fastened to opposite sides of the housing, serve as guides in unfolding the upper and lower panels as the protective cover is extended. The covering is preferably fabricated from a nylon fabric.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,084, Gallagher discloses a protective cover for a motorcycle that is pentagonal in shape. The cover has an elastic curved edge that fits the rear seat portion, a pair of elastic bands for engaging the foot posts, and a set of Velcro strips for joining the cover about the cycle frame between the engine and the front wheel. The cover is described as fabricated from a lightweight, flexible material such as xe2x80x9cripstopxe2x80x9d nylon, polyester fabric or other materials which resist the effects of weather.
Li, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,738, describes a retractable shading covering constructed of canvas for motorcycles. The covering is stored on a winding reel in a box secured to the rear of the motorcycle. The covering is sufficiently large to accommodate two persons on the cycle, and includes openings for the riders heads, as well as sleeves to allow the driver to steer the cycle with the handlebars from within the covering.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,560, Wasdenshows a flexible protective bicycle cover that fits over the seat, crossbar, handlebars and the front fork of a bicycle. The covering is a contour fitted covering of stretchable material that provides aerodynamic features with little or no protection of the bicycle it is covering.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,139 by Cseri discloses a stretchable cover for providing a tight aerodynamic fit on the cycle to protect against the elements while the cycle is at rest or being transported. The cover is stretched over the front structure, the cycle frame and seat, attached to the front structure and seat and secured to the foot pegs to retain the cover on the cycle. Openings are provided in the cover for any side mirrors. The stretchable fabric material can be a nylon spandex fabric, known as Spandura, which is commercially available.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,009, Sack et al. describe a removable sun shade for motorcycles that includes a fabric sheet for extension over the upper part of the motorcycle, forming an air-circulating region between the motorcycle and the sheet. The sheet has a number of attachment members around its edge for securing the sheet to various parts of the motorcycle to hold the sheet in place. A storage pouch is attached to the sheet for reversible attachment to the motorcycle at various locations as most suitable for each model. The material of the fabric sheet is described as xe2x80x9cweather resistant with breathabilityxe2x80x9d.
Willie et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,601, describe a protective covering for the fuel tank of a motorcycle. The covering, made up of two portions, straps around the fuel tank with various elastic straps having pairs of Velcro for securing the straps together. The covering protects the fuel tank from puncture by various objects.
Thus, there is an unmet need for a motorcycle protective cover that covers the seat and fuel tank of the cycle, and which can be employed for a large variety of motorcycle designs and sizes. The cover also needs to be easily attached to and detached from the motorcycle and be small enough for convenient storage.
While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not necessarily to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.
The invention is a sunscreen protector for motorcycles that covers the seat and fuel tank area to protect these components from the deteriorating effects of sunlight. The protector shade includes a rectangular sheet of tightly woven nylon/lycra elastomeric material sized to cover only the motorcycle seat and fuel tank. The sheet member has a top side and a bottom side with the peripheral edge folded upon the sheet bottom side and stitched thereto with a xe2x80x9czig-zagxe2x80x9d stitching that stretches without breaking the stitches, thus forming a finished peripheral edge. The rectangular sheet member has four corners and first and second pairs of parallel edges, with the first edge pair longer than the second edge pair. There are four elastic strap members, each member with first and second ends, with the first end of each strap member secured to the sheet member bottom side at one corner thereof, and the second end of each strap member secured to the sheet member bottom side at a strap member length from the strap member first end along one of the longer parallel sheet edges. The rectangular sheet also includes a plurality of hook loop members secured to the peripheral edge of the sheet member bottom side. Each member of a first pair of hook loop members is fastened to one first parallel sheet edge, a second pair of spaced apart hook loop members is fastened to one second parallel sheet edge, and a third pair of spaced apart hook loop members is fastened to the other second parallel sheet edge. A coated J-hook member is fastened to each hook loop member. Each of the coated, bendable J-hook members is secured at a first end to a hook loop member, with the J-hook member second end adapted for attachment to selected attachment points on the motorcycle.
The sunscreen protector is installed on a motorcycle by slipping two of the elastic strap members over the front signal light fixture and the other two elastic strap members over the rear turn signal light fixtures, with the protector sheet member stretching to cover the seat and fuel tank areas of the motorcycle. Alternatively, one pair of the elastic strap members can be attached to the handle bars or other protruding parts of the motorcycle. The coated J-hooks of the longer parallel sides of the sheet are attached under the seat, and the coated J-hooks of one sheet end are attached to the mirrors or handle bars at the front of the motorcycle, with the coated J-hooks of the opposite end of the sheet attached to the backrest or carrying rack at the rear of the motorcycle.